How to use Babble by M HILLIER DAVIS Contents

Contents Hillier - Davis

Description

Niveau: Supérieur, Licence, Bac+3
How to use Babble by M. HILLIER-DAVIS Contents: 1) Legal stuff 2) Why use Babble? 3) What Babble does not do. 4) What you will need to use Babble. 5) Getting started. 6) Using Babble in the classroom. 7) Calculating the pupils' marks. 8) FAQ Legal preamble: You are allowed to use and distribute Babble for free, but you are NOT allowed to sell Babble for profit. You are using Babble at your own risk, no responsibility is taken for damages to your computer system. However I've not heard of any problems yet. Babble - Licence agreement and disclaimer: Babble is provided as FREEWARE for non-commercial, personal use ONLY. This software may be freely distributed, with exceptions noted below, provided that it is not modified in any way. This software MAY NOT BE DISTRIBUTED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES. . This software MAY NOT BE SOLD INDIVIDUALLY OR BUNDLED WITH OTHER PRODUCTS (INCLUDING EBAY). Babble IS LICENSED TO YOU AS IS, AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WHETHER ORAL, WRITTEN, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THIS SOFTWARE DOES NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OF THIRD PARTIES. THE AUTHOR WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DATA LOSS, DAMAGES, LOSS OF PROFITS OR ANY OTHER KIND OF LOSS WHILE USING OR MISUSING THIS SOFTWARE.

• work sheet tab


• oral work sheet


• can also


• oral work


• infringe any


• should see


• babble

Sujets

• Microsoft
• Babbling

Informations

• Publié par: vehot
• Nombre de lectures: 22
• Langue: English

Extrait

How to use Babble by M. HILLIER-DAVIS

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Legal preamble:

You are allowed to use and distribute Babble for free, but you are NOT allowed to sell Babble for profit. You are using Babble at your own risk, no responsibility is taken for damages to your computer system. However I've not heard of any problems yet.

Babble - Licence agreement and disclaimer: Babble is provided as FREEWARE for non-commercial, personal use ONLY. This software may be freely distributed, with exceptions noted below, provided that it is not modified in any way. This software MAY NOT BE DISTRIBUTED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES. . This software MAY NOT BE SOLD INDIVIDUALLY OR BUNDLED WITH OTHER PRODUCTS (INCLUDING EBAY). Babble IS LICENSED TO YOU "AS IS," AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WHETHER ORAL, WRITTEN, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THIS SOFTWARE DOES NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OF THIRD PARTIES. THE AUTHOR WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DATA LOSS, DAMAGES, LOSS OF PROFITS OR ANY OTHER KIND OF LOSS WHILE USING OR MISUSING THIS SOFTWARE. Back to top

Why use Babble?

Without going into all the jargon and technical details, we all know that as English teachers we are encouraged to develop spoken exchanges within the classroom. We are also supposed to evaluate the pupils' ability to conduct these exchanges. I felt that traditional methods of judging pupils' spontaneous interactive oral work during lessons were too subjective for my liking.

Babble aims to : •be more objective without being a cumbersome tool. •encourage each pupil to become more active in class, as he or she can see the tangible results of each participation in English. •motive pupils to produce correct sentences, without placing too much emphasis on mistakes •spur pupils on to use complex sentences and “take risks” •encourage pupils to listen to others, react to what has just been said, correct their mistakes, use classroom English and generally use English as a means of communication.

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What Babble does not do.

Babble is not designed to evaluate presentations, texts learned by rote, role-plays, monologues, etc. Babble is not a substitute for programs specifically designed to evaluate different competences for the CEFRL. It will not tell you which pupils can or can't do very specific tasks. Babble isn't designed for evaluating written work. Back to top

What you will need to use Babble:

A computer using the Windows, Linux or Mac OS environment.

EitherOpen Office Calcin the Open Office suite – it's free and rather large, but it can be installed on a Mac or a PC running Windows or Linux, and it runs alongside anything else as far as I know. (It also opens and saves Microsoft files, but things can look a little odd sometimes). It's available in French from here:http://fr.openoffice.org/about-downloads.html Some of the commands listed below are given in French, as I've got the French version too and I assume most people will use the French version. OrMicrosoft Excel(Office 97 or later) – it's not free.

Access to a photocopier.

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Getting started:

If you are going to use Open Office: Download the files: Babble_2009_Oo3.0_Empty.ods Babble rules.odt (You can modify this file.) How to use Babble.pdf (this file)

If you are going to use Microsoft Excel: Download the files: Babble_2009_ XL3.0_Empty.xls Babble rules.doc (You can modify this file.) How to use Babble.pdf (this file)

Presumably you have downloaded this file, but I thought I should include it in the list.

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Nowsavethese files to a folder on your computer, for example “BABBLE”. (You may need to extract them from a zipped folder to wherever you want to put them.) Next, I suggest youcopythe Babble 2009_XL3.0_Empty.xls (or Babble_2009 Oo3.0_Empty.ods) file andpasteit in the same folder. Rename the copy. I usually just put my name after “2009”, so it becomes Babble_2009_HILLIER Openyour Babble_2009 file. (ienotthe one with “_Empty” at the end)

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You should see somethin like this:

Start by entering your title (Mr, Miss, Ms, Mrs...) and your surname in the yellow boxes. This information will be printed on the oral work sheet for each pupil. Only the information in the yellow boxes may be changed. Each line provides a succinct explanation of what these numbers are for, but I suggest you leave them well alone until you know what you're doing. The default values are indicated in writing if you need to go back to them. You can also change the names of the appreciations in the pale yellow boxes at the bottom of the screen. These are the appreciations given by the teacher when a pupils participates. Next click on the tab Class_1 at the bottom of the screen. You should now see somethin like this:

If you are using MS Excel you can right-click on the Class_(1) tab and then rename it to the name of the class, e.g. 3e 8. This aides navigation. Unfortunately, Open Office does not yet allow this option when the sheet is protected.

You can now chan

e the name of the class and start addin

 u ils' names:

You can also add a whole list by copying and pasting it into the selected area. Right-click: “Paste special” (“Coller spécial”) then choose “Values” (“Valeurs”) command. As you may have noticed, numbers will appear automatically next to each pupil. The total number of pupils is indicated, and question marks will appear in the quality box. This denotes that the given pupil's oral work has not been marked. ➢Do this for each class. Don't worry, you'll only need to do it once a year! ➢Now click on the Printable Oral Work Sheet tab. You should see this:

Notice your name printed at the top of the sheet. This is what it looks like when you print it out:

So, print out ONE sheet then do enough photocopies for each pupil. ➢On the “Printable Oral Work Sheet” page, click on “Preview” (“Aperçu”) then “Print” (“Imprimer”) (make sure the “Selected sheets” (“Feuilles sélectionnées”) option is checked, otherwise it will print out the whole folder.

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Using Babble in the classroom.

➢The “Babble rules” document should be photocopied, handed out to the pupils and stuck in their copy books. I feel it's best to read it through and explain it in class and also to ask their parents to read and sign it. Don't forget that you may change the rules in the document to suit your way of functioning.

➢When the Oral Work Sheets are first handed out, each pupils writes his or her name and class on the sheet. (It may seem obvious, but it avoids a lot of problems later on.)

➢At the beginning of the lesson, the pupils write the date in the date column. ➢Any pupil who was absent for the previous lesson (if Babble was used) writes the date of that lesson first, then puts a cross in the absences box (next to the date). When a pupil raises his or her hand to participate in English: ➢The teacher (or another pupil) designates him or her. ➢The pupil speaks in English. ➢The teacher gives his or her appreciation based up the criteria below: (I've left the criteria in French, as per the “Babble rules” document to avoid confusion)

Type de réponse : Intervention complexe sans faute, innovatrice, pertinente et compréhensible (accent et intonation acceptable pour un non-anglophone)

Appréciation :

“Excellent!”

ou “Well done!”

Intervention complexe complète, pertinente, originale ou innovatrice, même avec quelques fautes (qui n’empêchent pas la compréhension) “Very good.” Phrase simple correcte avec quelques ajouts ou enchaînements pertinents. Phrase complète, pertinente, globalement compréhensible mais avec erreur ou oubli. “Good.” Phrase simple correcte et complète. Prononciation / intonation correcte. “Nearly.”Phrase incomplète ou erronée, difficile à comprendre ou hors sujet. Mélange français-anglais. “Almost.” ou Répétition involontaire d’une phrase prononcée précédemment. Prononciation / intonation qui pourrait nuire à la compréhension de la ou  “Not phrase. quite.” oDes points de bonus sont attribués pour la lecture à voix haute, la“Bonus” correction à l’oral et d’autres formes d’interventions orales qui ne relèvent pas de la production orale spontanée. ➢The exchange continues, meanwhile the pupil crosses the appropriate box on his or her Oral Work Sheet.

➢After approximately 10 to 16 lessons, the teacher asks the pupils to write the total for each column at the bottom of their Oral Work Sheet. ➢Any pupil having forgotten his or her Oral Work Sheet is reminded in no uncertain terms that it is imperative to remember it for the next session. (What happens after that is up to you!)

At the beginning of the next session, new Oral Work Sheets are handed out and the cycle begins all over again.

At the rate indicated, this system yields about 2 sets of marks per term. Back to top

Calculating the pupils' marks: Open the “Babble” spreadsheet. Click on the tab for the class you want to mark. Type the number of lessons in the big yellow box at the top of the sheet. Take one of the pupils' Oral Work Sheets and enter the totals for each column on the line for that pupil. Do the same for each pupil, until you have done this for every pupil in the class. Save your work Write down the results in your teacher's note book, or whatever. Go on to the next class. Here's an example:

As you can see, the pupils' marks range from 1 to 20. This is not always the case, but for this class it does reflect their work over that period. Three students did not hand in their work sheets in time. This is another class, over the same period. They have since begun to use complex sentences, because they want to get the “Very good” appreciations! rd th Believe me, it works for 3 and 4 year students too!

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Frequently asked questions: (in no particular order) How does Babble calculate these marks? What are bonuses for? Can the pupils cheat? Why not use one sheet for the whole class? How do I add pupils to a class? How do I remove pupils from a class? I typed something and all the marks have disappeared! Why didn't you use any macros? Why can't I add lines, select some cells or change things? What's the password? Why is Babble in English? Is Babble available in Spanish, German or other languages? Are you going to continue developing Babble? How do I contact you?

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How does Babble calculate these marks? Quantity is calculated by comparing the number of times a pupil participates to the class average. Absences are taken into account, so a pupil who has been away won't have to participate quite as much as the rest of the class to obtain the average mark. Bonuses count for quantity. It is possible to obtain 20 / 20 using the default values. Quality is calculated by assuming that a pupil who obtains only “Good” appreciations and who makes no mistakes will obtain the mark you set on the quality sheet. Obviously “Very good” or “Excellent” appreciations will raise this mark quite rapidly. Mistakes will lower the quality mark, but it must be stressed that each intervention automatically raises the pupil's quantity mark. Bonuses do not influence quality in any way. There is a small amount of quantity in the quality mark, as I feel that it is harder to produce a large number correct sentences than it is to produce just one or two. It is possible to obtain 20 / 20 using the default values. Back to FAQ

What are bonuses for? I give bonuses as a reward for voluntary participation in English when pupils: -read in English (from a document, or sentences written for homework, etc.) - use classroom English (if the sentence is read from a list, or if it has been used frequently in the past) - raise their hand to help another pupil find a word (either from a word bank, dictionary, document, or from memory) - answer using single words (e.g. “Yes” or “No”) unless they have been specifically told to use complete sentences. However, I always try to encourage pupils to use whole sentences. •It is important that the pupils make the distinction between bonuses and the appreciations, as their quality mark will barely be above the minimum mark for participation as defined on the criteria sheet. •NB – Bonuses do not reflect quality! Therefore, a pupil who raises his hand and reads a sentence he wrote for a homework exercise will obtain a bonus even if the sentence is incorrect. The participation is being rewarded in this case, not the pupil's accuracy. Of course, you are free to adapt it as you see fit. Back to FAQ

Can the pupils cheat?

Yes, but it's pretty obvious when they do. At the beginning of the lesson, I generally make a show of looking at the worksheets, and the I ask them to see me at the end. Then I let them stew. At the given time, when most of their fellow pupils have left, I ask them if they made any mistakes while marking their crosses, and they generally admit that they might have put a few too many crosses in one of the columns.

In rare cases, I've meted out punishments. Cheating is also relatively rare; pupils are actually more likely to forget to mark their points than to add more. Back to FAQ

Why not use one sheet for the whole class?

 I've tried it and I found it had other disadvantages, notably that one person has to try to keep track of everyone's participation on an unfamiliar list. It does not encourage personal responsibility and also often distracts pupils from the flow of exchanges, as they immediately want to verify that their participation has been taken into account. Of course, if you want to do it that way, feel free, but you'll have to design your own record sheet. Back to FAQ

How do I add pupils to a class? Either1) Make sure the sheet is empty of scores. (If it isn't, select them and hit the “Delete” key, not “Suppr”) Type the pupil's surname and first name at the end of the list. Select the whole list of surnames and first names. In the grey bar at the top of the page, click on “Données” then “Trier”. In the box “Trier selon” check that the first pupil's family name is showing. Make sure the option “Croissant” is selected, then click on “OK”. Enter your scores as per usual.

Or2) Select the list of pupils' family names and first names below the desired place for the new pupil. Copy and paste the selection one place further down. Overwrite the first of the duplicate names with that of the new pupil. (Cut and paste works too, but the “Cut” command removes everything, including the background, the borders, etc.) Back to FAQ

How do I remove pupils from a class?

Select the family name and the first name of the pupil you wish to remove from the list. Hit the “Delete” key (not “Suppr”). Select the list of pupils' family names and first names below the now empty line. Copy and paste the selection one place further up. Delete the last entry at the bottom of the list as it will be a duplicate. Back to FAQ

I typed something and all the marks have disappeared! This is a way of indicating that you made a typing error. In most instances, you should get a message on a red background saying “ERROR !” and “On this line” next to the line you last typed on, or “Error on criteria sheet!” Hit the blue “Undo” (blue arrow button )to correct this. Please note: Babble will not accept you typing in notes if there is no pupil associated with them. Error messages may also occur if you enter incorrect values. For example, entering “0” for the number of lessons will produce an error message. Back to FAQ

Why didn't you use any macros? Mainly because some school networks deactivate them automatically as part of their security environment. There's no point using it if it doesn't work. It also meant that annoying warning messages would pop up and worry people. Back to FAQ

Why can't I add lines, select some cells or change things? Well, you can change some things, but I decided to protect the file as much as possible, without hindering normal usage. To be frank, I don't want to be plagued with too many emails asking for help that I don't have the time to provide, therefore I tried to limit the amount of damage that could be done inadvertently. Back to FAQ

What's the password? If you send me a very convincing email, I might tell you. Back to FAQ

Why is Babble in English? I have come to believe that using the language being taught, for as many aspects of teaching as possible is a good thing for pupils and teachers alike. Back to FAQ

Is Babble available in Spanish, German or other languages? No, not yet. If you're interested in translating it, please let me know. Back to FAQ

Are you going to continue developing Babble?

Yes. I'm always tweaking it. I'll make any new versions available through the Academy's language sharing resources website.http://pedagogie2.ac-reunion.fr/anglais/Mutualisation.html#

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How do I contact you?

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If it's about a problem, please follow these steps first: make sure you have read and understood this guide (I'll try to translate it sometime soon, but just doing it in English took me a lot longer than I would have thought!) check it's not something silly, like an error blocking the calculations. Try restoring the default values on the “Criteria” page. Write me a detailed email and be patient. I'm just a teacher too... Please state which operating system you're using (Windows XP / Vista / 7 or Linux or Mac OS) Please tell me which Babble file you downloaded (Open Office / Excel) and which version (example BABBLE_Oo3.0), so I'll know what to look for.

Here's my email address:[e-mail]

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